Railway-track structure.



A. STARK.

RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE;

APPLICATION TILBD AUG. El' 190B 923,453. Patented June 1, 1909.

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S' i j e 1507". IZQSW M773 Saw/ UNITED srn'rnsijunr oFFIon;

ADREW STARK, OF GHCAGO, ILLINOIS.

aniawnrrnao2r STRUCTURE Specication Qi Letters Patent.

Application led August 25,

Patented June 1, 190e.

iec. serial no. 450,158.

l'o alt w/wm it may concern:

Be it. known that l, ANDREW STARK, acit'izen of the United States, residing at'Chicago, in the county of (look an'd State of Illinois,

' have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway-Track Structures, of 'which the` following is a specification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a art'thereoi.

. A he piirpose of this invention is to provide an improved structure for railway tracks and road-beds,embodying, in lieu of the common timber tie, a substitute in which the substantial element of stability isa cement or concrete rail sup ort.

'y FigA 3 is a plan view oi the cement block emthe mi played asa-.base for the rail seat. Fig. 4 is a section at thev line 4*'4 onA Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a` section at the line5-5 on Fig. 3 with the rail-seating block inposition.

The elements which constitute a track .structure embodying this invention are (1)'k reinforcing cement dr concrete pillow blocks, A, A, alined with each other transversely of the trackunder the rails res ectively; (2) a wooden rail-seating block, l, lod ed in a transversely V-shaped channel in t e upper side ol the cement pillow block, extending obliquely there-across; (3) a retaining bolt, C, taking through the ceme'git pillow block across the il-sha ed channel r'nd through the wooden rail-sea ing block, i3, transveisehr thereof and obliquely with lrespect to the cement pillow block (4) lag gbolts or screws ikes, D, with their washeis,jD1, taking-'into tne wooden rail-seating block and engaging the raillanges; (5) adjustable' coupling bolts, E, connecting the opposite alined cement pillowV blocks. These elements coperate with thetrack rails', F, and road-bed, G, with which they associate, as will now be "more particularly described.

The cement pillow blocks, are in general of oblong rectangular iorniin plan View, being preferably reduced in thickness toward the ends by slightly sloping oli' the upper surfaces at 1 1, and to a greater extent,

ythe tightening of the bolt thereon.

similari sloping off the under surfaces `at 2, 2, dydle portion, 3,- oi the lengthof thev lower` surface directly below the position of the rail, F, being lat.- The slape of the .under side of the block at the ends is especially desi ned to afford opportunity for -tamping in t e ballast, after the block is in substantially or approiinaately correct position on the road bed.

there-across, preferably at an anole of a out In the upper surface h of the pillowblock, extending obli uely forty-iive degrees to the length, there is formed an angnlar or V-shaped channel, 4, the two converging surfaces of which are preferably approximately at right angles to each other, as mostclearly indicated in Fig. 5. In this rectangular channel there is lodged the correspondingly sha ed wooden rail-seating block, B. This bloc is made of practical and convenient dimensions by ripping diagonally a 7" by 7 timber, which results in a diagonal face about ten inches wide, which forms the seat of the rail when the block is in position in the channel, 4.' All three angles of the block may be blunt-ed to reduce the risk of splintering.

The pillow block is formed with lateral bosses, .6, 6, at the opposite sides, in line diagonal with respect to thepillow block `at right angles tot e channel, 4, the outwardly facing shoulders of the bossesbeing parallel to the channel; and the entire pillow block is apertured at right angles to the said vchannel through the bosses to receive the bolt, C, which traverses the V-shaped channel, 4, and penetrates the rail-seating block, B, lodged therein for retaining it in position in the channel and on the. )illow block. The

illow block is provided with metal 4reineorccment which may consist of a ilat metal bar,- H, folded closely upon itself, intermediate the ends at 7, the two limbs extending from the fold being secured in close contact for a few inches byrivets, S, S, aud-thence dh verging Aa short distance'sothat one ply ex tends longitudinally within thc pillow block at a level a little below the bottom of the channel, 4, to a point beyond the width of that channel, being then reflexed in a bend, 9, to cause the end, v 10, to protrude out through one side of the pillow block at the plane of the outer end or face of the boss, 6, at that side, so that it forms a heading or sheath for the-head ofthe boss to prevent the' latter -from being crushed orcracked in tends ongitudinally within the pillow bloclc along the face of said boss.

preferably 'spirally twisted, as shown, at the at a little distance "above the lower side' thereof, nearly to the end opposite that at which the foldedportion protrudes, and is then reflexed and' extended back past the other boss, 6, and then bent so as to emerge portions, 12and 13, respectively, to increase their en agement with the cement of the pil.

low bloc and also to diniinislithe danger of crackingthe pillow block'by vibration of the reinforce bar, which, if the bar were flat, would perhaps have a 'slight tendency to split or crack the cement in the plane of the width. of the bar.

infor'ce bar rotrudes from the inner end of The folded'end of the re- 'the pillow b ook; that is, the end intermeling bolt whose nuts, draw the pillow diate the rails, and this folded 'end isup-ben't to forml the upstanding'lug portion, 14.'

This lug portion is bored to receive the coupling bolt, E, and thetwo oppositealined pillow blocks are thus connected 4by the coup- El, can be adjusted to them., as may be ing of the rails when seated and secured as hereinafter described. The-rails, F, lodged uponthe rail-seating .wooden blocks, B, ex-I,

' tend diagonally there-across, and therefore which is preferably done by diagonally in the vopposite direction with respect to the bolts, C. These Woodenblocks afford opportunity for `securing the rails! pikes, D, which are provided with washers, 1, cut away on the under side 'at the inner edge tolap on the base iiange of the rail, as seen in Fig. 4. The two s ikes which secure the rail ateach pil'-v low b ook are preferably located at the opposite sides of the rail in the obligue line 'ofthe so that the center of the wooden block, s ikes have the makimum depth of .that block f-or engagement :and are also at4 the farthest point possible consistent with this from the transverse bolt,

The following characteristics of this track structure 'above'described result from the features o f construction above described First: Any tendency 'to spread the rails involving a side pressure resu ts .in a longitudinal tendency of the rail-seating block, B,

- in the diagonal V-s'haped channel .of the cement block; and lsince such longitudinal whcli is engaged both withthe pillow an movement would necessarily be obli ue to the rail, it would involve movement' ongitudinally as well as transversely with respect to the rail, and being resisted by the bolt, C, block with the rail, all resistance of tliepillowblock rail and road bed to such longitudinal movement operates to resist the transverse or spreading movement. Thatis to s ay, the resistance ofthe rail and road-bed for a ver considerable distance is available at eac pillow block forf assisting to resist any tendency to spread the rails.

Both limbs are i blocks'togetlier or spread necessary for accurate spac-' ldiagonal position of the seating bloclgsfB, with-respectwto the rail adapts a block ofthe given width to afford about fifty per -cent more seating surface to the i'ail than if the bl'ock extendedvtrai'is.- veisely. r

Third: The oblique relation of the wooden seating blopk, B, to'the cement illow block, A', operates to prevent the ten encyvoi' the longitudinal stresses operating on the rail to .roll the pillow block inthe road-bed'.

Fourth: In case ofvdeteiioration oi the wooden rail-seating blocks, such block is easily removed` and replaced without dis turbingthe )illow block or the road-bed, for the bolts, and the s ikes being with drawn,V the block, B, can lie driven out endecond: lThe wise `from its seat land a new. block driven in place and secured ,in old one y Fifth.: lhe track is at all times leveled -by tamping the ballast under the slo ed ends of the pillow blocks. f- JiXth: The wearing on the inner edge of thel rail by the flange of` the wheels of the rolling stock isat all'tiines-easily com ensated by adjusting the coupling bolts. te draw the. illow blocks near together.

Seventfi: The swellin and shrinking oi' the woo'den railseating locks, B, does not cause either the rupture of the cement illow blocks orthe loosening of the wooden blocks in their seats, because such swelling and shrinking is automatically accommodated at the slopingsurfaces of contact and seating of the wooden 'block on the cement pillow block.

the same manner as the easily l The termy ".prnow Diock.,`as `used in this Y' specication, is`notto be understood in contra-distinction from a cross-tie or sleeper,

as the latter' terms are commonly ap lied to track co tructipn. Andit will be o served that the inctions of the` specific features oi' the structure described, except as to .the capacityV l for adjustment to correct the the track, are not dependent upon the emspread of the rails or -eifect vre-alinenient of ploynient of separate pillow` blocks for the two rails, as distinguished from a continuous cross-tie.

It will be observed also that the function of the specific form of the depressedseat for the rail-seating block and ofthe block corresponding to that seat, consisting `in the downwardly converging sides, is independent of the oblique relationof such depressed seat and seating block to the'traclr andpillow block, and that these twofeatures of construction are'th'erefore not necessarily associated. Y.

I claim-.f

1. Ina railway track, in combination with a concrete pillow blockhaving an obliquel extending channel in its upper face; a ra supportingl block lodged in andntting such channel; a track rail supported by and seconcrete pillow blocks alined transversely of cured to said block, and means securing the the track under the rails respectively ad- Justable means for connecting the pillow block against longitudinal movement inl its `seat on the pillow block. Q

2. In a railway track, in combination with a conci'ete pillow block having in its upper surface an obliquelyf. extending channel 'with downwardly converging sides a rail-seating block lodged in such channel', the rail s'ecuied to such seating block, and means securing the seating block against movement longitudinally in the channel of the pillow block.

` l 3. Ina railway track, in conibination'witli a concrete pillow block having an obliquel track under the rails respectively; adjusts' able means connecting the metal-reinforcing elements of such alined pillow blocks, each pillow block having in its upper surtace an obliquely extending depressed seat; a raili supporting block lodged iii such oblique seat; means securing the rail-supporting block against longitudinal movement in its seat, and means securing the rails to the respective supporting blocks.

5. In a railway track, iii combination with the rails, concretepillow blocks alined trans versely of the track under the rails and means for adjustably connecting them, each pillow block having in its upper surface an obliquely extending depressed seat withcon-v verging sides; -a rail-supporting'block lodged in such oblique seat; means securing the railsupporting block against longitudinal movement in its' seat, and means securing the rail to -the respective supporting blocks.

6. In a railway track, in combination with @blocks in alinement, each pillow block having in its upper surface an obliquely extending depressed seat; a rail-supporting block having downwardly converging sides lodged in suoli obliquely .extending seat; means securing the rail-supporting block against longitudinal movement in its seat, and means securing the rails to the respective supporting blocks.

,7. In arailway track, a metal-reinforced concrete pillow block having inits upper' surface a depressed seat; a rail-supporting block lodged in such seat; said'pillow block having at its opposite sides shoulders par allel to the block seat, the pillow block being apertured through such shoulders, a bolt taking through the apertured shoulders and the depressed seat engaging the railsupporting block, the metal reinforcement of the pillow block being a flat bar having one end protruding along one of said-shoulders.

8,. A metal reinforced concrete pillow block for a railway track having inl its upper surface a depressed seat, a rail-supporting block lodged in such seat, the pillow block having shoulders alined transversely of the seat and supporting block, the metal-reinforcement of the pillow block emergingon such shculders, and a bolt taking through said emerging ends and shoulders trans` vcrsely of the depressed seat and engaging the supporting block therein.

9. In a railway track, in combination with a concrete pillow block having surface a depressed seatV with converging sides; a rail-seating block having its undei sides converging-lodged in such seat, the rail secured to such seating block, and means securing the latter against movement .longitudinally in the seat.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 20th day of AugustN/X. D., 1908.

ANDREW STARK. Witnesses:

J. S. ABBOTT, M. GERTRUDE ADY.

in its upper 

